Chapter 15

 

‘So Taemin, there isn’t anything in the new contracts banning relationships this time.  However, in clause 17.c it states: If any member does engage in a romantic relationship, first of all the nature and level of relationship will need to be clarified and a decision will need to be taken to submit a formal statement to the press of said relationship.  If the member chooses to keep the relationship private a fee will be negotiated and steps will be taken. …’

I was in a board room with two of the managers I worked for and a PR rep.  These people ran my life.  They were all under a non-disclosure agreement, much as everyone else who worked here was.  I was shocked to hear that in the new contracts we had just signed it allowed us relationships, in our initial contract it didn’t and I was sure when Minho was dating that wasn’t technically allowed either. 

I had been here for 15 minutes.  We had talked through the holiday and though they had no jurisdiction over what I did in free time they were curious to hear how I met Jen and if anyone had seen me.  They were pleased and rather shocked to hear I didn’t have any major incidents, besides bringing a British girl home with me.

‘So what do you want to do?’  Suddenly they all asked me looking at me intently.  I thought for a while.

‘I don’t want to make a statement just yet’ I told them. 

One of the managers nodded.  ‘Good I agree.  It is too early in the relationship.’ He chuckled. ‘I can’t believe you brought a girl home after a few weeks’

I frowned but I could see his point.

My other manager spoke up now ‘So that leaves us with a security problem.  You will need to be here on Monday after the weekend for rehearsals.  We have the come back in a few weeks and we need to make sure you all have the choreography down and then run through the final schedule.  Will you be intending on driving in or staying in the dorms?’

I looked at her and replied ‘Can’t I see how it goes driving in, and then if i need to be here more I’ll stay in the dorms’

‘Sure that can work, I’m referring to you bringing the lady to the dorms.  We should probably upgrade your dorm, so you have um more privacy.’

Oh yeah I hadn’t thought about that.

‘Yes please that would be fine.  And bringing her on the promotional tour’

‘No problem Taemin’ the PR executive spoke up this time.  ‘We have a system in place, we will hide her in plain sight, make her look official, working for us, as long as you aren’t obvious we should be fine.  It’s worked for a number of our clients before, especially in this situation, where the partner is an unknown in the business.’

That made sense.  Minho’s ex was famous in her own right, so we couldn’t hide her in ‘Plain sight’ as they said. 

‘As long as you are focused 100% and not distracted we will have no problems. But we should discuss the security fee.  As this is extra work for us to cover we call this an invisible convenience fee. . . .’

I smiled to myself knowing this was going to happen, however I was happy enough to give over every penny at this moment. 

 

I left the offices feeling much better.  Security and situations had been devised and were being thought up as we speak.  I had agreed to bring her in when I was due back there over the weekend, mostly so she could understand the building, so they could security tag her and be filled in on what would happen.  They offered me the chance of getting her a very private tutor for her to learn Korean if she wanted and since she taught English there was a brief mention of her maybe being of use to the staff but that was to be discussed much later.  The company I worked for was tough, and sometimes too tough, I had been lucky and I felt happy that they were helping me rather than shouting at me for once. 

 

I stopped for coffee and lunch before I made my way home.  I picked it up to take home to eat with Jen. 

I had left her alone while I went out and I felt a little guilty looking at the clock on the dash of my car it was almost 1.30pm, I had been gone almost 3 hours. 

Quickly enough I pulled into my house and down in the basement.  Walking up the stairs to enter the kitchen I could hear her talking to someone, but who?  I paused at the door listening as hard as I could.

‘You met KEY!’ This was a voice I didn’t recognise.

‘Yes, he’s really sweet Sarah and funny, oh my god’ this was Jen. I smiled listening.

‘BUT KEEEEYYY’ She screamed back.  Sarah, Sarah, I had heard the name, why was it familiar?

‘I still can’t actually believe you’re there right now.  I still can’t believe you just randomly met Taemin, of all freaking people’ this Sarah continued.

‘I know.’ It was Jen, her voice was low, ‘but, it’s weird, I don’t look at him and think oh my god it’s Taemin from shine, you know? I just look at him and see Taemin, a guy I met one day who’s Korean’

‘Yeah’ her sister replied.  I realised Sarah was her sisters name. ‘How are you with being in Korea?’

‘it’s ok so far, but I’ve been here like what two days? I don’t know, I can adjust anywhere, I think it’s just strange I’m not in Indonesia right now.  Are mum and dad ok?’ she asked.

‘Yeah they’re fine.  Mum still wishes you would just come back.  After . . .  well after everything she just thinks you should be here so she can look after you.’

Jen groaned. ‘hmm.  It’s been two years.  I’m ok, I don’t need looking after’

‘Yeah but now you’re in yet another strange Asian country with a man she’s never met, so she’s bound to be worried.’

‘I’m 29 years old, I’ve lived abroad for 10 years in an Asian country, I’ve been married and widowed and she still worries.’ She laughed a little.

‘Mum’s.  Anyway, when is he due back?’

‘I don’t know, I thought he would be back by now to be honest, but I don’t want to bother him, it’s pretty important and I don’t want to cause problems.’

‘yeah I can imagine them freaking out about you right now’ her sister laughed.

‘Are you staying on so you can see him?’ Jen asked

‘Jenni, I introduced you to the world of Koreans and somehow the universe thinks it’s fair you meet them and not me.  So yes, I am’

Jen burst out laughing.  I also chuckled to myself.  It all came back to me.  It was her sister who was the mega fan.  Because of her sister she knew about kpop. 

It was at that moment I decided to walk in, I swung the door of the kitchen open and saw Jen on the stool facing away from me, her computer in front of her, I could see a very blonde looking woman on the screen who the moment she saw me walking in froze still with her eyes wide.  Jen turned around in the chair as I walked in, smiled at me and I smiled back. 

‘I brought you some lunch and coffee’ I said a little shy. 

‘Oh thank you’ she blushed and looked back at the computer screen whispering into it ‘hold on a second’.  She walked around to me, and took the coffee off me, kissing me quickly on the cheek.

I looked over at the computer and she followed my gaze, her eyes found mine as she said ‘It’s my sister, do you . . . do you want to say hi?’ I looked at her eyes, how could I possibly refuse anything she asked me to do?

‘Sure I do’ I smiled unable to resist taking another kiss.

She turned the computer around to face me as I stood beside her looking into the screen at the face of her sister.  Her sister was younger than she was but still older than myself.  She had a very clear look of Jen.  She also had very long blonde hair but very platinum blonde, and big brown eyes just like her sisters.  She was also very pretty, small elf-like face and very straight teeth. 

‘Hi’ I said as enthusiastically as I could waving into the camera. 

Her eyes were wide, almost in fear but she broke into a huge smile ‘Hi’ she said back.

It was awkward for a second my eyes flickered to Jen for a split second and saw her grinning.

‘I’m Taemin, how are you Sarah?’ I asked, the only thing I could think of.

‘I think I’m going to die’ she replied and quickly covered her mouth.  Jen burst out laughing.  I giggled with her, ‘Don’t die!’ I said seriously.

Jen laughed harder, she was doubled over at the obviously awkward conversation. 

‘I’m sorry about my sister’ she said when she was able to breathe.

‘it’s fine’ I told her. 

‘I’m sorry too’ her sister spoke out of the speaker.  I laughed again, she seemed more relaxed now. 

‘Well it was nice meeting you, maybe you can come here soon!’ I said, where did that come from?

Her sister almost screamed at me.  Jen looked at me curiously, why did I say that?

‘Nice to meet you too’ Sarah spoke again.

‘I’ll call you later’ Jen said saying goodbye to her.

I busied myself with the food opening it and putting it out in front of us. 

‘I’m sorry, she just kind of can’t believe it’.’ Jen said to me, looking at me with a slight worried expression.

I looked up at her and wriggled my nose at her.  ‘it’s ok, stop worrying.  I remember you telling me she was a fan’

One night in Bali when we were talking and she was telling me about her family she had explained how she came to know kpop.  Her sister had come across it while they were in Thailand and she was hooked.  She did love Shinee and I do remember her telling me she adored Kibum, but now she was an Exo fan.  When I text Jongin and told him he found it extremely funny. 

She took a bite of the chicken and her eyes lit up at me. 

‘This is the best chicken I’ve ever had’ she moaned.

I chuckled taking a bite myself.  I was starving.  As we sat and ate I told her about my meeting and what had been decided.  She nodded along understanding and asking questions. 

‘This is so weird’ she mumbled after we had finished and I had explained everything.

I gave her a sideways glance.

‘I mean, I’ve just never been in this situation before, obviously.  It’s a lot’ she reassured me. 

I  nodded understanding.  ‘You know I heard what you said to your sister just before.’ I told her.

‘oh yeah which part?’ She replied.

‘When you said ‘I don’t look at him and think oh my god it’s Taemin from shine, I just see Taemin, a guy I met one day who’s Korean’

She looked at me intensely however I could see the creep of embarrassment wash over her.

‘Do you want me to look at you like Taemin from Shinee?’ She asked me quietly.

‘No baby!’ I told her, I leaned my elbow on the counter and rested my head on my hand looking up into her eyes smiling widely. 

‘It’s really nice to hear you just see ME.  Not the stage me’

She grinned shyly, leaning over to me and stroking my nose.  ‘The stage you is really sexy though’

I feigned offence ‘You mean the real me is not sexy?’ I raised my eyebrows.

‘The real you is very sexy, but all that hip thrusting and body rolling really gets a girl hot’ she teased her voice low and sexy. 

I smirked, I got up from the stool, and started to dance slowly, rolling my hips I carefully lifted my shirt over my head and began to roll my body at her.  ‘You mean like this?’ I thrust in her direction. 

She giggled at me biting her lip.  ‘You have to stop that right now’ she made to move off the chair but I pinned her back continually rolling and grinding into her, half joking, half serious.

‘Why you said you like it, it’s sexy’ I said innocently pressing my lips on hers.  ‘And you are very sexy’ whispered.

I pulled back from her face enough to see it in her eyes.  I lifted her up easily throwing her over my shoulders and smacking her backside. 

‘Taemin!’ she squealed.

‘This is what you get for saying I’m sexy and I make you hot, naughty girl.’ I told her, smacking her a*s again and dragging her to the bedroom.